Barthélémy Philippe 2:50 p.m., November 16, 2022

The National Assembly voted on Wednesday against the ban on bullfighting in committee.

If the abolition of this "show" is supported by a large majority of French people, it meets more resistance in bullfighting towns, where bullfighting is essential for the local economy.

This Wednesday at the Palais Bourbon, the law commission of the National Assembly spoke out on Wednesday against the ban on bullfighting, a bill signed Aymeric Caron.

This should then be presented in public session on 24 November.

This text, however, deeply divides the hemicycle, between pro and anti-bullfighting, which is found in almost all political groups.

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To the point that at the National Rally (RN) for example, Marine Le Pen has, exceptionally, not given instructions to vote.

Even tugging at Renaissance: most of the elected representatives of the majority group followed the advice of the government by voting against the ban on bullfighting.

But some abstained or voted for it.

This is the case of the president of the group Aurore Bergé, totally opposed to this show.

A significant economic impact in the south of the country

Beyond the emotion aroused by the suffering of the bulls sacrificed in the arena, the deputies will have to measure the economic impact of this spectacle, essential for the sixty towns in the south of France authorized to organize bullfights.

In 2022, bullfights attracted 450,000 aficionados for a turnover of 40 million euros.

In cities that operate bullrings under municipal management, the revenue from bullfights is crucial.

It frees up money for other investments.

In Bayonne, for example, this windfall is used to finance the organization of the famous festivals in August.

But it is above all for local commerce that bullfighting is essential.

In Béziers, for example, the 2022 edition of the feria attracted 830,000 visitors for spin-offs estimated at 40 million euros by the local tourist office.

In Nîmes, the bill even rises to 60 million euros per year.

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The risk for many small villages of disappearing

According to André Viard, project manager at the Union of bullfighting towns, many small villages could disappear if bullfighting is banned.

He cites the emblematic example of the Gers commune of Vic-Fezensac, which has 3,000 inhabitants and a 6,000-seat arena.

"The three days of the feria, traders make 50 to 70% of their turnover," he says.

Suffice to say that if the Caron bill is still possible to be adopted, the merchants of Vic-Fezensac could be forced to draw the curtain.